My Favourite White

Sommeliers are often perceived to love the big red wines and that was certainly true for me in my early years of wine tasting.  It was only after I started my wine education that I came to appreciate all the wonderful varietals and styles that were out there. In fact, these days I taste about 50% white, 35% red, 10% sparking and 5% fortified.  So, I thought I would start out telling you about my favourite white varietal in my first blog!

Drum roll! Believe it or not it’s Chenin Blanc!  Not what you were expecting?  Well, what I love about Chenin Blanc is that the grape can be anything from bone dry to luscious sweet.  What versatility!  Its French home is in the Loire Valley and I love their take on this wonderful grape.  My favourites are the drier styles of Chenin Blanc that tend to be picked at full ripeness giving the opportunity to balance higher alcohol level with a slightly lower acidity.  They also allow for a small amount of residual sugar to add weight.  The result is a very food friendly wine that has a sweet and sour vibe thus it can even pair well with some Asian cuisines which is a normally a bit of a challenge.

Vouvray is a region of the Loire that produces white wine made with Chenin Blanc.  They make it in all styles from dry to sweet to sparkling.  Savenniere is region in the north that produces very dry wines but they will set you back a fair penny!  The Coteaux du Layon is well known for its sweet wines and the Saumur for its sparkling wines.  It’s all there and a wonderful area to take a river cruise!

I also love Chenin Blanc for the price.  A good starter that is easy to find is the Barton and Guestier Vouvray which can be had for $15 or less and can be found at several local Calgary stores.  So, what are you waiting for? Give Chenin Blanc a try!